This Is How Long Sex Usually Lasts

This Is How Long Sex Usually Lasts

We're not saying you've peeked through the blinds to see your neighbors doing the deed, but chances are you've wondered how your stamina stacks up against everyone else. So yes, we're basically asking: Are you the tortoise or the hare?

Due to the private nature of sex, it’s a hard question to answer. Lucky for you, a group of scientists armed with condoms and calculators set out for scientific solution. They asked 500 heterosexual couples from five different countries to use a stopwatch to time sex, from insertion of the penis into the vagina to male orgasm, over a four-week period. (We realize this is a very specific, male-centric definition of sex that doesn't take into account women's orgasms or foreplay, but unfortunately it's the way this particular study was set up.)

The results? Researchers found sex lasts an average (technically median) of 5 minutes and 24 seconds. But don’t sweat it if you’re off the mark—findings ranged from 33 seconds to more than 44 minutes. Waldinger MD, Quinn P, Dilleen M. The journal of sexual medicine, 2006, Mar.;2(4):1743-6095. This just goes to show that when it comes to sex, there really is no normal.

A few more interesting notes from the study: It appears that the time couples last in bed decreases as they get older, and the amount of time a guy takes to orgasm is not significantly affected by condom use or circumcision. So there you have it!